Sales Recruiting Blog

Resume Don’ts

Your resume should be a door and conversation opener.  Think of it as your way of getting noticed amongst the sea of resumes out there.  In the sales world nothing gets noticed more than results but then this isn’t a blog about Resume Dos.

Here are some definite don’ts that will hinder your ability to secure an interview let alone a sales job.  Don’t go into big detail on your resume - if the job you are applying is interesting and attractive the recruiter or hr manager or sales manager that is receiving resumes probably has too many resumes to begin with.  If I have to read through 2-3 pages to try and find out if you are any good there is a pretty good chance that I won’t.  Don’t have an accomplishments section.  Put all of your accomplishments down as bullet marks under each position.  Don’t put personal information on your resume such as “married, 3 kids” or “enjoy reading, hunting and bowling.”  Interviews and resumes need to be about your qualifications and ability to do a sales job.  Make it easy to find your accomplishments - don’t bury them in the middle of a paragraph. 

 In the sales resources section of our website you will find an excellent sample resume that has impact.  Here’s a final don’t - don’t expect to get an interview for a competitive sales job if you don’t have any solid sales accomplishments.